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Hillside Academy For Excel

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

453^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Hillside Academy For Excel is a K-5 elementary school in the Garland Independent School District (Isd) serving 446 students in Garland, TX, and it consistently ranks among the top 10% of all Texas elementary schools, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the 2025-2026 school year.

This school stands out dramatically from its neighbors. While many nearby schools in the district struggle—like Southgate Stem Elementary (7th percentile) and Caldwell Elementary (21st percentile)—Hillside ranks in the 90th percentile statewide. Its test scores are significantly higher than district and state averages across all subjects. For example, 4th-grade Reading proficiency was 72.62% compared to the district's 56.18% and the state's 53.04%. The school also excels in Science, with 5th-grade proficiency at 42.5%—nearly double the district average of 26.11% and far above nearby schools like George Washington Carver Elementary (11.11%). Hillside is one of two "Academy For Excel" schools in the area, the other being Kimberlin Academy For Excel (99th percentile), suggesting a highly effective educational model within the district.

What makes Hillside particularly impressive is its exceptional performance with economically disadvantaged students, ranking in the 95th percentile for this subgroup despite nearly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools with similar poverty rates that rank in the bottom half of the state. However, the school's only consistent area of weakness is its performance with Gifted and Talented (GT) students, ranking in the 39th percentile. While Hillside excels at bringing most students to proficiency, it may not provide enough enrichment for its highest achievers. Its state ranking has also seen a slight decline from a peak of 98th percentile in 2019 to its current 90th percentile, while its close competitor Watson Technology Center has been steadily improving to the 95th percentile.

446

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,264

Per pupil spending ?

59%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 Keen Dr
Garland, TX 75041-3799

(972) 926-2550

District: Garland Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.2%

Asian:

18.2%

African American:

13.5%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Hillside Academy For Excel to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 98th percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (70% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Texas elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Garland Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg56%

Texas avg51%

453^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 2% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 43Elementary Schools in the Garland Independent School District (Isd)

398^th of 951Garland Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	88.0	453 of 4627	90.2%	★★★★★
2025	87.6	474 of 4651	89.8%	★★★★☆
2024	89.2	401 of 4710	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.5	359 of 4647	92.3%	★★★★★
2022	92.7	252 of 4581	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	85.1	574 of 4578	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	97.0	89 of 4479	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	118 of 4359	97.3%	★★★★★
2017	97.4	107 of 4329	97.5%	★★★★★
2016	92.4	91 of 4286	97.9%	★★★★★
2015	89.2	252 of 4320	94.2%	★★★★★
2014	89.2	233 of 4260	94.5%	★★★★★
2013	88.5	271 of 4221	93.6%	★★★★★
2012	88.7	267 of 4206	93.7%	★★★★★
2011	81.4	410 of 4095	90.0%	★★★★★
2010	79.4	496 of 3937	87.4%	★★★★☆
2009	82.7	337 of 3884	91.3%	★★★★★
2008	83.6	285 of 3768	92.4%	★★★★★
2007	73.6	838 of 3724	77.5%	★★★★☆
2006	79.3	457 of 3476	86.9%	★★★★☆
2005	82.1	342 of 3475	90.2%	★★★★★
2004	82.5	279 of 3465	91.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	90.7	85 of 2406	96.5%	★★★★★
2025	85.2	124 of 1905	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	81.0	238 of 2443	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	77 of 2443	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	92.9	84 of 2421	96.5%	★★★★★
2021	95.7	60 of 2444	97.5%	★★★★★
2019	98.1	15 of 2515	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	92.0	95 of 2483	96.2%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	76.4	149 of 999	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	143 of 814	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.9	256 of 1045	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	74.8	190 of 1015	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	215 of 957	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	71.3	234 of 967	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.9	113 of 1009	88.8%	★★★★☆
2018	83.0	63 of 1005	93.7%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	97.6	36 of 4461	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	91.3	148 of 4331	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	99.3	14 of 4295	99.7%	★★★★★
2018	95.7	63 of 4240	98.5%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	381 of 1643	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	85.9	281 of 2918	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	85.1	343 of 3668	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	91.2	121 of 3556	96.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.2	63 of 3487	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	85.9	218 of 3446	93.7%	★★★★★
2019	97.8	19 of 3333	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	98.4	11 of 3226	99.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	88.6	359 of 4575	92.2%	★★★★★
2025	86.4	366 of 3744	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	81.0	653 of 4658	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	402 of 4588	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.3	247 of 4561	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	79.6	700 of 4499	84.4%	★★★★☆
2019	95.7	112 of 4348	97.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.3	96 of 4306	97.8%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	1865 of 3075	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.9	1723 of 2619	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.8	1891 of 2980	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.3	1843 of 2958	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	2028 of 3006	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.1	2020 of 3184	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.2	1539 of 3106	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	617 of 4413	86.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	584 of 3644	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	76.0	677 of 4465	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	517 of 4401	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	277 of 4376	93.7%	★★★★★
2021	63.3	1193 of 4329	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	127 of 4188	97.0%	★★★★★
2018	94.7	98 of 4168	97.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	216 of 4520	95.2%	★★★★★
2025	87.7	187 of 3705	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.8	193 of 4594	95.8%	★★★★★
2023	91.0	136 of 4521	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	95.2	66 of 4477	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	81.7	377 of 4451	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	29 of 4309	99.3%	★★★★★
2018	98.1	26 of 4264	99.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	84.3	553 of 4582	87.9%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	475 of 3739	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	88.6	378 of 4647	91.9%	★★★★★
2023	90.5	317 of 4585	93.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.8	263 of 4563	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	87.1	449 of 4498	90.0%	★★★★★
2019	96.6	86 of 4357	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	93.9	195 of 4319	95.5%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	79.4	151 of 1112	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	58.4	427 of 1046	59.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	797 of 4301	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	84.8	234 of 3549	93.4%	★★★★★
2022	97.4	31 of 3952	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	94.8	70 of 3799	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	100.0	1 of 3684	100.0%	★★★★★
2018	57.7	1022 of 3558	71.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	90.7	83 of 3006	97.2%	★★★★★
2025	89.4	102 of 2612	96.1%	★★★★★
2024	88.1	152 of 3108	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	90.7	100 of 3106	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	90.1	97 of 3082	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	77.3	461 of 3082	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	93.7	56 of 3142	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	93.3	63 of 3127	98.0%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

At Risk (2022)99th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)97th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)96th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2019)86th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2026)85th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)81st percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)77th percentile-13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)39th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading74%+20 vs state

Mathematics66%+19 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

I love this school Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 17, 2017

I love this school. My daughter has been able to excel and learn so much. I appreciate the effort the staff puts into helping their students strive. I'm very happy with the results and truly looking forward to many more successful years. Close Quote

Schools Near Hillside Academy For Excel

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Hillside Academy For Excel	Public, Magnet	K-5	600 Keen Dr	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 926-2550	446	28	16.1	59.0%	54 (12.1%)	60 (13.5%)	233 (52.2%)	81 (18.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	88	453^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	90.2%		87.6	474^th of 4651 public elementary schools	89.8%	21							70.4	72.6	79.3				58.8	76.2	63.1					$9,264
Watson Technology Center	Public, Magnet	K-5	2601 Dairy Rd	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 926-2600	529	32	16.7	57.1%	66 (12.5%)	92 (17.4%)	294 (55.6%)	57 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.8%)	93	253^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	94.5%		90.7	345^th of 4651 public elementary schools	92.6%	92	27.3						70.1	84.2	80.0				71.9	75.7	71.0					$8,070
Club Hill Stem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1330 Colonel Dr	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 925-2590	443	26	16.9	90.5%	44 (9.9%)	70 (15.8%)	297 (67.0%)	15 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	42.4	2556^th of 4627 public elementary schools	44.8%		24.5	3757^th of 4651 public elementary schools	19.2%	1201	28.6	41.7	45.5				45.5	43.2	57.1				40.0	40.7	44.4					$9,884
Handley Stem Elementary	Public	K-5	3725 Broadway Blvd	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 926-2540	563	37	15.2	88.1%	16 (2.8%)	109 (19.4%)	397 (70.5%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.3%)	47.9	2219^th of 4627 public elementary schools	52.0%		35.7	3075^th of 4651 public elementary schools	33.9%	856	48.4	52.9	57.1	50.0	20.0		37.7	48.2	57.8				32.1	52.7	54.3					$13,749
Daugherty Elementary	Public	K-5	501 W Miller Rd	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 926-2530	757	46	16.4	91.7%	35 (4.6%)	7 (0.9%)	695 (91.8%)	10 (1.3%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	34.3	3135^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.2%		34.2	3178^th of 4651 public elementary schools	31.7%	43	20.0	59.2	37.9	28.6		37.5	42.9	41.1	53.0				33.6	38.7	40.5					$9,173
Caldwell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Saturn Rd	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 926-2500	422	28	15.0	94.8%	17 (4.0%)	32 (7.6%)	364 (86.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	26.3	3670^th of 4627 public elementary schools	20.7%		46.8	2333^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	49.8%	1337	20.7	11.1	18.2		11.1		32.5	38.8	37.2				33.9	43.1	34.0					$9,947
Southgate Stem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1115 Mayfield Ave	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 926-2590	431	31	14.0	94.2%	21 (4.9%)	35 (8.1%)	353 (81.9%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.8%)	22.5	3903^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	15.6%		13.7	4344^th of 4651 public elementary schools	6.6%	441	17.7	26.5		25.0			42.9	50.0	29.0				28.3	29.6	24.4					$12,495
Ignite Community School - Garland	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3024 Anita Dr	Garland	75041	Dallas County	Texas College Preparatory Academies	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 840-1100	227	14	16.2	91.6%	12 (5.3%)	33 (14.5%)	175 (77.1%)	4 (1.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5.2	4582^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	1.0%		8.4	4535^th of 4651 public elementary schools	2.5%	47							11.1	12.5	34.6	33.3	20.0	59.1	11.1	0.0	7.7	9.5	5.0	45.5	42.9	$11,341
Kimberlin Academy For Excel	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1520 Cumberland Dr	Garland	75040	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(972) 926-2560	474	29	16.2	36.5%	139 (29.3%)	88 (18.6%)	159 (33.5%)	66 (13.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	97.9	55^th of 4627 public elementary schools	98.8%		98.6	30^th of 4651 public elementary schools	99.4%	25							91.7	83.2	94.7				82.1	76.4	90.4					$10,702
Heather Glen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5119 Heather Glen Dr	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 270-2881	283	19	14.8	91.5%	7 (2.5%)	35 (12.4%)	219 (77.4%)	14 (4.9%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)								(n/a)																				$11,159

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillside Academy For Excel

Is Hillside Academy For Excel a good school?

Yes. Hillside Academy For Excel ranks in the top 9.8% of Texas elementary schools.

What district is Hillside Academy For Excel in?

Garland Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Hillside Academy For Excel?

Students at Hillside Academy For Excel are 52% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 13% African American, 12% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Hillside Academy For Excel attend?

Students who attend Hillside Academy For Excel usually go on to attend:

Middle : Austin Academy For Excell
Middle : B G Hudson Middle
Middle : Bussey Middle
Middle : Classical Center At Brandenburg Middle
Middle : Jackson Technology Center
Middle : O'Banion Middle
Middle : Sam Houston Middle
Middle : Sellers Middle
Middle : Vernon Schrade Middle
Middle : Webb Middle
High : Garland High School
High : Lakeview Centennial High School
High : N Garland High School
High : Naaman Forest High School
High : Rowlett High School
High : S Garland High School
High : Sachse High School

How many students attend Hillside Academy For Excel?

In the 2024-25 school year, 446 students attended Hillside Academy For Excel.

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.